Decoding and printing system



March 12, 1963 J. E. J. G. TOUSSAINT 3,081,446

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DEcoDING AND PRINTING SYSTEM Filed April l5, 1959 l0 Sheets-Sheet '7 J TOUSSAINT Attorney March l2, 1963 E. J. G. TOUSSAINT 3,081,446

DEcoDING AND PRINTING SYSTEM lO Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed April 13, 1959 Attorney 1 M m W T me@ J. nm. Q oe os .5o. t G wl@ NQ So L @S Q i QO I l m SO Uilm l L L lwlww l- I- E c c E wl@ wwwmwvym Imllll, i--- d C C c c c mu, so -III Flow; I'IJII 3%; .So Q bw tQQ QOES o REQ March 12, 1963 J. E. J. G. TOUSSAINT 3,081,445

DEcoDING AND PRINTING SYSTEM l0 Sheets-Sheet 9 but mmSo Q55@ www KDO www 5o .3 So DS@ @e So ufs@ OR YNQOINDY Filed April l5, 1959 @SRC mloom Inventor J. TOUSSAINT Attorney J. E. J. G. TOUSSAINT 3,081,446

DEcoDING AND PRINTING SYSTEM March 12, 1963 The invention relates to a decoding and printing system.

Such a system may for example be required for the autornatic processing of documents and data e.g. a system conceived for the automatic processing of bank cheques.

For each cheque arriving in a bank a plurality of operations have to be executed, and it may be advantageous to mechanize these operations as far as possible.

In the system disclosed in Belgian Patent No. 577,754, each cheque, which has to be processed, is first inserted in a document carrier, provided with a magnetic tape strip, on which the relevant cheque information, e.g. account number and amount, is inscribed.

The insertion operation is realized by means of a machine sueh as described in Belgian Patent No. 577,761, while the encodingr operation is executed by a mechanism, such as disclosed in Belgian Patent No. 577,749, patent application No. 226,884, the above mentioned encoding and printing system controlling the encoding operation.

When the document carriers have thus been processed, they are classified, according to the issuing bank and the account number of the cheque, by means of a sorting machine of the type disclosed in the United States patent application Serial No. 805,800. The processed cheques are thus divided in at least two groups: incoming cheques, which are cheques of the bank itself, and outgoing cheques, which `are the property of other banks.

The operations to be executed on these two groups of cheques are somewhat different, since the incoming cheques have to be processed in a bookkeeping machine, while the outgoing cheques have only to be decoded in order to make cheque listings and bundles.

The system in accordance with the present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, devoted to the processing of outgoing cheques, together with the control of their extraction out of their document carriers.

The extraction operation itself is described in Belgian Patent No. 577,767.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an electrical and electronic control for such a machine and particularly for decoding and printing the information, which is encoded on the strip of magnetic tape that is fixed on the document carrier wherein the cheque is held.

It is advantageous to provide at least one storage device into which the whole information, read from the document carrier with the help of a reading mechanism, may be stored and from which the required decoding and printing operations may be carried out.

In accordance with a first characteristic of the invention, a system for decoding and printing information encoded on a magnetic record is characterised in, that said magnetic record appears on individual documents or on document carriers, eg. a piece of magnetic tape affixed on a carrier enclosing a cheque, that said system includes first means for reading said encoded information, second means for transmitting the read information to a storage device, third means for transmitting the stored information to a decoding circuit, and fourth means, `associated with said decoding circuit, for transmitting the 3,081,446 Patented Mar. 12, 1963 ice decoded information to a printer which is able to print this information.

It is advantageous to decode the information serially, or at any rate decimal digit by decimal digit, and to transmit these digits in turn to the printer, since a considerable amount of equipment is saved. Nevertheless, such an operation trades equipment for time.

Another object of the invention is to save time in printing serially by avoiding the'printing of an account number, or other identifying information, whenever this is the same as the number of the preceding item.

In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, a decoding and printing system, as described above, is characterised in that it comprises a comparison circuit associated with said storage device for comparing said read information, or part thereof (eg. the account number), with the corresponding part (eg. the account number) of the information previously stored in said storage device.

When making listings of cheques it may be desired to have the possibility of taking the total of the amounts of a certain number of cheques e.g. of those provided with a same account number.

In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, a decoding and printing system, as described above, is characterized in that it includes an adding machine which enables the information or part thereof (eg. the amount) to 4be stored in its totalizer.

The above mentioned and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by referring to the following description of an embodiment taken in conjunction With the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. l to 7, the latter three assembled as shown on FIG. ll, constitute a complete circuit diagram of a detailed embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a timing chart of the reading operation;

FIG. 9 is a timing chart of the `generation of a train of four advancing pulses;

FIG. l0 represents a disk, part of a reciprocating mechanism for displacing a magnetic head;

FIG. 11 shows how FIGS. 5 to 7 have to be assembled; and

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of the decoding and printing system of this invention.

A summary description of the detailed embodiment of the invention will first be given.

It is rst assumed that the doctunent carriers have previously been encoded vand sorted by means of machines already mentioned above. The information encoded on a checque is constituted by an eight-digit account number, a two-digit sorting prefix which characterizes the type of cheque is constituted by an eight-digit `account number, cheques, `a one-digit sign of amount to indicate debit or credit for the bank, an eleven-digit amount, and `a last digit or stop symbol which characterises the end of the multi-digit information. Also a three-digit so-called credit item, characterizing the number of cheques accompanied by a deposit ticket may be encoded on the documen-t carrier. A deposit ticket is a ticket deposited by the owner of a bank account when he delivers a number of cheques to his bank to be added to his bank account. He thereon inscribes his own yaccount number and .the total of the amounts of said number of cheques. In what follows, the :three-digit number of credit items will however be disregarded, such -that the encoded information consists in S-t-Z-l-l-l-ll--l=23 decimal digits, which are however serially encoded on a binary-coded decimal basis in the following order:

2digit sorting prefix, S-digit account number,

1-digit sign of amount, ll-digit amount and l-digit stop symbol.

aosigiac O 0000 1011 1 0001 (i 1100 2 11010 7 1101 3 C011 S 1110 l 0115i) J 1111 Among the various advantages of the above code one finds that the coded combinations form a closed group with respect to complementing i.e. inversion of the ones into zeros and vice versa.

The above mentioned information has first been encoded in accordance with the Aiken code and followed by a complete encoding in the inverse Aiken code i.e. with the ones changed into zeros and vice versa. This means that every so inversed decimal digit corresponds to another decimal digit which is merely the complement to 9 of the original decimal digit.

Since a special end code is required for positioning the information in the shift registers, this means that `any of the six remaining 4-digit binary numbers which are not allotted to represent decimal digits may be used as the special end code, without any possibility of an inversed decimal digit becoming this end code.

Likewise, each full number including the end code is inverted to give the second representation and the inverted end code also cannot correspond to one of the decimal digits. The double serial encoding of each full number in normal `and inverse form, the fuil inverse form following the full normal form, has the advantage that it is practically impossible for any error to remain undetected. This would require `that if a fault causes a binary 1 to become a binary 0, some other fault should simultaneously transform the inverse O into a l, and the chances of such complementary errors are too remote to be taken into account.

The stop symbol is the 4digit binary number 0110. The 'l-digit binary numbers 1111 and 0G00 are respectively allotted to the -iand signs of amount.

The above mentioned presorted (in accordance with sorting prefix and account number) cheque carriers are delivered, one by one, to a so called reading position in a manner disclosed in the above mentioned `Belgian Patent No. 577,761. The encoded information relative to a first arriving cheque is then read by a mechanism such as described in the Belgian Patent No. 577,749. Afterwards it is transmitted to an electronic storage device which may conveniently be a pattern shift register such as disclosed in the United States `Patent No. 2,649,502 of A. Odell where each stage, adapted to store a binary-bit, includes a cold cathode tube plus associated circuitry. Since it is desired to have the normal form of the information stored in the shift register or memory line after the reading operation is finished, and since this shift register is adapted to contain one form only, this information will be inverted before being transmitted to said lines. In this manner the complementary form is first stored in said shift registers, and, during the transmission of the normal form, said complementary form, now leaving the shift register, is continuously and serially compared (i.e. bit by bit) with said normal form entering this shift register by a comparison circuit associated with the shift register.

When no discrepancies are detected during this comparison, the information is transmitted digit by digit through a self-checking decoding circuit to an adding machine, and when no discrepancies are detected by this self-checking circuit, the information is printed by a printer which is a part of said adding machine.

A following document carrier is then transferred to the reading position and the information encoded on its tape is also read and serially stored in said shift register.

The complementary form of the information, the

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amount excepted, may be serially compared i.e. bit by bit with the corresponding information, relative to said iirst cheque, already stored in the shift register in normal form (i.e. in the case of the so called automatic feed).

lf the compared informations are found to correspond, the compared information is prevented from being transmitted to said `self-checking decoding circuit so that it cannot be printed. It is to be remarked that the amount is always transmitted to the adding machine and printed when no discrepancies are detected by said decoding circuit.

When during the comparison of the account numbers and sorting prefixes of two successive cheques, two compared bits are found to be dificrent, the machine is stopped.

This is necessary since a plurality of operations have to be executed during this stop period as will be explained.

The machine is provided with a mechanical counter for counting the document carriers arriving in a so-called output position. indeed, after having been processed in lthe above mentioned machine for extracting documents out of document carriers, the latter carriers are transferred to an output stage which is enabled to contain only a certain predetermined maximum amount of document carriers, e.g. 1000. 1t may however be desired to make bundles of the cheques (eventually only one cheque) which are provided with the saine account number and to remove these bundles out of the output stage immediately after they have been foi'med. It is clear that in that case the counter has to be reset `to its zero condition.

In case of automatic feed, the machine will be stopped after a difference between two compared bits is detected i.e. at a moment when at least the first bit of the first digit of the sorting prefix of the read cheque is stored in the shift registers. The new information of the new cheque having a different account number will nevcrtheless continue to be entered in complementary and in noi'- nial form in the shift registers.

1t is now desired to know the total of the amounts of the cheques of such a `bundle so as to be able to inscribe this total on a ticket associated with the bundle. Therefore a total key has been provided, so that the total made in the adding machine is allowed `to be printed.

At the saine time, the circuit which provides wipingout pulses for the shift registers in case a discrepancy between the two forms of the same information is detected, will be actuated to wipe out the information of the new cheque which must be read again to permit printing of the new account number.

Summarizing, in case of automatic feed, the machine is stopped each time a different sorting prefix or account number is detected, and the total key has to be depressed during every stop period in order to be able to process a following cheque. Although this is exceptional, it may happen that all the cheques processed are known to be provided with a different account number. With the machine working, as explained above (automatic feed), it ywill be stopped after each cheque is processed, and during each stop period the total key has to be depressed.

This is naturally a waste of time and therefore the machine can be ptit in a so-called single-feed condition, whereby the account numbers of two successive cheques are not compared. Due to the latter fact, the shift registers must also not be cleared and the total key must not be depressed during each stop period. For enabling the cheques to be processed in automatic or single feed, the machine has been provided with a so-called automatic or single feed key. With the key in automatic feed position, the machine works as described above, while with the key in the `single feed position, the total key need not be depressed in order to be able to process a following cheque.

Prom the reading station the read cheque is transferred to a position wherein it is extracted out of its document carrier, and afterwards the latter is then transferred to an output stage.

A detailed description of a detailed embodiment of the present invention Iwill -now be given, hereby principally referring .to the various figures `and also to the above mentioned Belgian Patent No. 577,767

Therein it is disclosed how a document carrier containing a cheque is transferred from a transverse conveyor, by which 4it is advanced, to a `so-called input position situated on an edgewise `conveyor by means of a drop mechanism such `as described in the United States application, Serial No. 806,286, tiled April 4, 1959, by G. X. Lens, et al.

When a document carrier is thus transferred to said input position, it may be brought to the adjacent, so called encoding position by means of an electromagnet controlled yshifting wheel. The operation of this electromagnet Sh (FIG. 4) depends however on several conditions. Indeed it is only operated when 'simultaneously a document carrier is lsituated in the input position (contact dr closed) and when the make contact glr of the relay G11' is closed.

The reading position is provided at its left and right top corners with a photocell Phl and P112 respectively near the entrance and the exit of said position. In its middle it is yfurthermore provided with a photocell P113. The location of these photocells is not shown here but the corresponding signals appear on FIG. 4. The former two photocells P111 and Ph2 are prevented from receiving the light `from their corresponding light source by a document carrier positioned .in the reading stage, while the latter photocell Pita is prevented from receiving the light of its light source .by a document actually positioned in said Adocument carrier. When the photocells Phl, Phz, P113 are normally receiving the light from the corresponding light source, the relays Glr, G21 and G5r are normally operated.

From .the foregoing it is clear that when a document carrier is situated in the input position =(dr closed) and when there is no document carrier positioned in the readling stage (G11 operated), the shifting electromagnet Sh (lFIG. 4) will be operated so as to transfer this document carrier to the reading stage.

yIf there `is no document carrier positioned in the reading stage, the relay G21' is thu-s operated, and by closing its make contact g2r (FIG. 4), it energizes the relay G31'. By opening its break contact g3r2, the latter removes the ground from the relay F51' (FIG. 3), `and by closing its make contact g3r, it operates the relay G4r as follows:

Battery, coil of relay Grr, closed break contact gar of the relay G81', closed make contact g31'3, contact cwl, `closed by a camwheel (not shown), ground.

The relay G41' light-s the lamp no drop or shift NDS (FIG. 4) by closing its make contact g4r, while it prevents, in a manner not shown, the operation of the mechanism located in the next or so called unjacketing position, described in detail in the above-mentioned Belgian Patent No. 577,767.

When there is a document carrier situated in the reading position without cheque in this carrier, then this is detected by the above mentioned photocell Phs, since the latter then continues to receive the light from the corresponding light source although the photocell `Ph2 is prevented from receiving the light from its corresponding light source.

In this manner the relays G21' and G5r are respectively released and operated such that the parallel connected relays Gr and G21' are operated as follows.

Battery, coils of relays Gar, Gqr, make contact cw2 closed by said camwheel (not shown), closed make contact g5r, change-over contact g21' in the position shown, ground.

These relays are locked through the closed make and break contacts gqrl and ggrl respectively. The relay Glor is then operated through the close-d make contact ger, so that the eventually operated relay G12r (FIG. 4) is released, the relay Gur being normally operated. The reject lamp RJ (FIG. 3) is lighted by the closure of the contact g7r2 of the relay Gqr. By operating the reject reset key RRI( the relay G91' is operated and the relays G61', Gqr are thus released. By closing its make contact ggf, the relay G91' operates the reject electromagnet EI. It further energizes the slow releasing relay G81' when closing its contact g91'2.

The relay G4r is prevented from being operated due to the opening of make contact gar, sothat the no-drop-orshift lamp is not lighted and the operation of the mechanism located in the above mentioned unjacketing position is not interrupted.

Relay G12r is unlocked by the operation of the relay G1413 since the later releases the relay Gur. It is also unlocked by the reject signal in a manner described above, since the relay Gwr is then operated.

It is now assumed that a document carrier with a document inserted therein is positioned in the reading stage. Many indications have to be kept in memory. These memories are realized by relays which lock themselves to ground. As the reset of these relays may be necessary at different times, two fundamental locking grounds Lkl and Lk2, which are removed at different times of a complete operation cycle, are used in the arrangement according to the present invention.

-For starting the operations, a start key SK (not shown) is depressed, thereby closing its contacts 8K1, SK2 (FIG. 4) and 8K3 (FIG. l). By closing the contacts SKI, 5K2, the relays G121' and Glgr are operated. The former relay (3121F is locked through the' closed make contacts gurl, gur and through the closed break contact glor of the unoperated relay Gmr. The latter relay G13r is locked through the closed make contact gurl and the closed break contact cwg of the carnwheel (not shown).

Through their closed make contacts g1212 and g13r2, the relays G121' and G131' each apply a ground connection to an associated contact of a so-called automatic or single feed key AFK, shown in (FIG. 4) in its neutral position. The latter key may be put from its neutral into one of its two active positions: automatic or single feed. In both cases the so called main clutch Mn is operated and the machine starts an automatic cycle. In the automatic feed position the contacts AFI, AF2 are closed, while the contact SF is opened, while in the single feed position, the contacts AFI, AF2 are opened and the contact SF is closed. It is now supposed that the key is put in its automatic feed position.

By closing the contact 8K3 (FIG. l), when depressing the start key, the parallel relays Alr, F3r, Car, B11' are operated as follows:

Battery, coils of relays Alr, F31', C91', B11', closed contact 8K3 of key SK, closed break contacts blsrl, b141'1, b131'1, ground.

The relay A11' operates the relays A31' and A41' (FIG. l) by closing its make contacts alrl and a1r2 respectively, and the relay A31' locks itself on a ground given through the closed break contact c1711 and on a ground given through the closed make contact a4r1. The relay G31', being released in a manner described above, Voperates the relay F51A through its closed break contact g3r2 (FIG. 3). By opening its break contact f51'1 the relay F5r releases the normally operate-d relay F21' (FIG. l). However, due to the operation of F3n the relay F21 (FIG. l) is then again operated through the closed make contact f31.

The relays A31", F2r and F51' being operated, the parallel connected relays A61' and A31' (FIG. l) are energized as follows:

Batteries, COIS 0f relays ABT, Agr, closed make contacts fari, fsz, Kw2, ground.

By respectively closing and opening its make and break contact :161'2 and (161'1, the relay AG1' discharges the capacitor C1 which was, through the closed contacts `a61'1, (151'1 and the coil of the relay A1111' (FIG. 2), at nearly the complete battery potential, since the value of the resistance R1 is high with respect to the value of the coil resistance of the relay Amr. Although the removal of this battery, when opening the break contact 1613, is sufficient to discharge the capacitor C1, a ground is given by the closed make contact arg, so as to reduce the discharge time. During this time a resistance R1 is further connected in series with the capacitor C1 in order to limit the discharge current on said Contact arz. By respectively closing and opening its make and break contact @31'2 and 1.131'1, the relay Agr energizes the eleetromagnets P1', S.f(a11'2) and releases electromagnet Sp(a111'1), as shown in FIG. 3.

These electromagnets constitute parts or" an encode and read mechanism, of the type mentioned above, which enables a reciprocating motion of a magnetic head which is normally uncoupled from a constantly rotating motor, since said so-callcd brake eleotromagnet Sp is normally operated. When it is desired, however, to couple the head to the motor for reciprocation, it is sutiicient to release brake electromagnet Sp and to operate a coupling electromagnet St. In order to enable the reading of the magnetic tape strip, fixed on a document carrier, it is moreover necessary to press said magnetic tape between the magnetic head and a cusnion. This cushion is therefore attached to the plunger armature of a pressure electromagnet Pr which is operated simultaneously with said coupling electromagnet Sr. As mentioned in the Belgian patent already re erred to, the read mechanism comprises a synchronizing slotted disk which enables, due to its association with one or more photocells, the delivery of signals during well defined time intervals. For the present control system the disk is slotted as shown on FIG. l0, and it is associated with the photocell Plz. In this manner the length of a So-called reading authorization signal Reh a', is determined. Indeed, this authorization is given as long as the photocell Plz receives the light from a light source through one of said slots. Since the disk makes one rotation for two cyclic displacements of the magnetic head, two slots are provided.

By closing its make contact cgr, (FIG. 1), the relay C91' operates the relay C1111 (FlG. 2) which is further locked in the following manner:

Battery, coil of relay C1r, closed make contact c101'2, closed break contacts c16r1, c7r1 and c3r1, closed make contact g11r1, ground.

The operation of the relay C101' makes the total key TK inoperative (HG. 3) by opening its break contact C1571.

By closing its make contact b1r, the relay B11' (FIG. l) operates the parallel connected relays B21' and Br (PEG. 2) which are both locked through the closed make contact b21' and the closed break contact br. A constantly rotating motor being coupled to the encode and read mech- :mism as described above, reading authorization signal Rr/Au is given when the above mentioned photocell Plz (Piu. 6 and l0) receives the light from a light source through one of the slots provided in said disk (FIG. 10).

in this manner the relay Agr (FIG. l) is operated, and by the closure of its make contact ngrz and ngrg, respectively, the relays Amr (FIG. 2) and Amr (FIG. 1) are energized.

By closing its make contact nur, the relay A-,fxr operates the relay A131' (FIG. l). The break contact a9r1 being open, the capacitor C2 (circuit of relay Ar), previously charged through t .e winding of Aqr and slightly discharging through R2, is now fully discharged through protecting resistor R during closure of the make contact amrg.

As long as the stop symbol in normal form is not stored in the so called recording tetrad Rt (FIG. 5) the relay A111' (HG. l) is energized via the output Z (FIG. 5), as

8 will be explained later. In that case the relay A15r (FIG. 2) is energized through the closed make contacts a11r2 and rz121'2, and it is further locked through the closed break and make contacts [151' and a151'1, respectively.

The above mentioned recording tetrad is a part of a chain of shift registers including the shift registers ML1 and ML2 (FIG. 5). It is constituted by four series-connected cold cathode tubes, while said shift registers are each formed by eleven consecutive tetrads so that they are adapted to store the sorting prefix, the account number, and the sign of amount on the one hand, and the amount of a cheque on the other.

From the foregoing it is easy to see that the read mechanism is kept running as long as the start key SK is depressed. Normally the start key will be released before the end of the reading operation, so that the brake electromagnet is operated at a convenient time sutlicient to stop the read mechanism in a position such that the displaced magnetic head is in one of the limit positions of its reciprocating travel. It may however, happen that, at the moment the start key is released, the displaced magnetic head takes a position close to one of said limit positions. When starting the energization of the brake electromagnet at that moment, the read mechanism is not stopped when reaching one of said limit positions, since the brake electromagnet is unable to operate rapidly enough, but it continues to be displaced in an opposite direction, in view of the reciprocating motion used, whereby it is only stopped in a position between said two limit positions of its course. To stop the magnetic head in the right position in all cases a system has been provided which works as follows:

When the reading authorization is removed, the relay Agr (FIG. l) releases and energizes temporarily the relay A11' during the charge of capacitor C2. Two different cases may now be distinguished due to the fact that the start key may be released during said short operation time or not.

In the second case the relay A31' releases as soon as the reading authorization is removed, i.e. when the relay A11' is temporarily operated. Indeed, the relay A31' was locked through the closed break contact o11'1. The relay A31' being released, the relay Aar also releases and operates the brake electromagnet Sp (FiG. 3) and the mechanism is stopped in the appropriate limit position.

In the first case the relay A41' (FIG. l) is locked through its own closed make Contact n i'g and the closed make contact aqrz. It thus keeps relay A31' (FIG. 1) operated through its closed make contact 11.11'1 until the relay A11' releases. At that moment the relay A31' locks itself again through the closed break Contact a7r1 for another new but ineflective cycle of the mechanism. The latter mechanism will then stop in appropriate position, as described above.

The reading authorization being given, the reading of the information encoded on the document carrier positioned in the reading stage may start. Since on the tape, the complementary form of the information follows the normal form, it will be transmitted to the shift registers after inversion so as to finally store the information in normal form.

In the Belgian Patent No. 255,754, already referred to, an information and a parallel synchronizing pulse track are encoded on the magnetic tape strip lined on each document carrer and every binary digit encoded on the tape is followed at a half period distance by a reversal of magnetisation on that synchronizing pulse track. Furthermorc it is to be remarked that a 1 corresponds to a change in magnetisation of the tape, while no change is made for a O. The information and synchronizing pulse 4 racks are respectively read by the reading amplifiers RAI and l-lAA (FlG. 6) connected to the twin magnetic head MH.

Every magnetic saturation reversal on the information track read by the reading amplier RAI triggers the monostable multivibrator M55 to obtain, through the AND gate g1g, a ciean pulse of 10 as., the other input lead of g1g being activated by the reading authorization signal. The pulse produced by M85 is fed to a special stage T2 of the shift registers designed to record this pulse. The state of the tube used in T2 will then control the synchronizing pulses received through amplifier -RAA from the master channel, and which lag by about half a period behind the eventual information pulses, so that these synchronizing pulses Will actually produce pulses or not, in accordance with the respective absence or presence of an information pulse on the corresponding track. In this manner, the operation becomes independent, Within one period, of the small phase shifts between the pulses on both tracks, since the pulses from the master channel Will perform the double task of actually feeding the information to the shift registers as well as advancing the information pattern.

When reading the synchronizing pulse track, every magnetic reversal thereon delivers a pulse which is fed through AND gate g21, the other input Ilead of which is already activated by the reading authorization signal. The pulse, thus obtained, hereafter called A pulse, is applied to an input lead of AND gate g1g (FIG. 6), the other input lead of which is conditioned by the state of tube T2. This A pulse is thus only permitted to be fed through said gate when the latter tube was not tired i.e. when no information pulse, or, in other Words, when a was read from the tape. The resulting pulse is delayed by 60 us. by delay unit D2 4and then applied to monostable multivibrator MSG which produces a clean pulse of ,11s. which fires the tube 1 of the recording tetrad Rt (FIG. 5 through the mixer m10. In this Way, the non ring of the tube T2 corresponding to a 0 on the information track is made to record a 1 in -t-he tetrad Rf and vice versa.

The above mentioned A pulse is also applied through the mixer m11 (FIG. 6) and through a delay unit D3 of 10 ,ws to the monostable multivibrator M812 which produces an advancing pulse of fis. This advancing pulse is then simultaneously applied to the partial shift registers ML1 and ML2, to the recording tetrad Rt, and to the special tube T2, as Well as to -another tube T1 the purpose of which will be explained later, and shifts the information previously stored therein. In this manner it is assured that when the pulse, eventually produced by the monostable multivibrator MSG, arrives at the starter of the tube 1 of the recording tetrad, it will find the latter deionized. Simultaneously the tube T2 is -able to receive a following bit.

The above mentioned A pulse is .moreover also applied through a delay element D4 of 100 tvs. to a comparison circuit, the output of the delay element D4 being designated B pulses.

As mentioned above, two comparisons are execute when processing a cheque: -a comparison between the account number of thischeque and the account number of the previously processed cheque, and a comparison between the normal and complementary forms of the same cheque. When a first cheque, e.g. of a group with a same account number, is processed, the first comparison is naturally not possible and is not made.

Therefore it is now supposed that a cheque has previously been processed and that the normal form of the information recorded thereon stored in 'the shift registers lViLl and The stop symbol `0110 is thus stored in the recording tetrad Ri. In a manner described above the normal form of the incoming read cheque is now transmitted in complementary form Ito the recording tetrad Rt.

A comparison is now made between the normal form of the information, the amount excepted, of the previously processed cheque, stored in the shift registers ML1 and ML2', and the complementary form of the corresponding information read from the incoming cheque now being processed. In order to permit this comparison, the last tube 44 of the shift register ML2 (FIG. 5) is electrically coupled with an auxiliary tube T1, designed for memorizing the 4state of said last tube. Indeed, at the end of the advancing pulse shifting the information from the shift register ML2, the tube T1 Will eventually -be tired. This happens when the tube 44 was found to be fired When the advancing pulse Was applied thereon, i.e. when a 1 was stored therein. Since a 1 read from :the tape of the actual processed cheque, does not tire the tube 1 of the tetrad Rt, as explained above, it is thus clear that, when the information of the first and second cheque correspond, the tube I of Rt and the tube T1 will be in opposite states of conductivity.

The output leads of these tubes constitute the input leads of the AND gate 11.1 (FIG. 5). The signals appearing on lthese leads are furthermore inverted by inverters i8 and i9 and 'applied .to the AND gate g13. The above mentioned 10() us. delayed A pulse, hereafter called B pulse, is applied on said gates g13 and g14. Since it arrives as. after the A pulse one ensures that the tubes T2 and I of Rt are in the stable state when the .comparison .pulse is applied to these gates g13 and gm. Thus, it is easy to see that, only in case of non-conformity of t-he information, stored in the register andread from the tape, an output signal will appear at the common output lead x of the gates 13 and g14.

The start key SK need only be operated for the first processed cheque when the automatic or single feed key AFK is in its automatic feed position, as was assumed. In this manner the relay B1r is already released when processing the following cheques. A so-called account number authorization (can) is then given by the closed break contact b.11'1 (FIG 5). The iirst arriving A pulse is then permitted to be fed through the AND gate g1() to the long timing monoetable multivibrator MS2 which delivers a .signal during 20 ms. Indeed the input lead 3 of the gate g1g is activated, due to the monostable multivibrator M84 being in its stable condition.

As mentioned above, when a difference is detected during the comparison, a signal appearsat the output lead x of gates g13 and g1g. Due to the operation of the monostable multivibrator MSS, it is then fed through the AND gate g2 to the bistable multivibrator B31 which therefore is triggered. Its output signal then operates the relay B15? 2).

`It is to be remarked that, if the automatic or single feed key had been put in its single feed position, the relay B11' would have been operated for each processed cheque due to the depression of the start key. In this manner 4the break contacts 5.1111 would be open and the comparison noW contemplated would be ineffective` From this it is clear that it is necessary to depress the start key SK when the automatic or single feed key is in the single feed position before processing a cheque.

Returning now to the automatic processing, the relay B151' (FIG. 2) operates the relay B121- when closing its make :contact b15r1. The relay B121' then operates the parallel connected relays C21' and C21A (FIG. 2) through its closed make contact b121'2, While it energizes temporarily the relay C121A (FIG. 2) during the charge of the capaci-tor C1, the resistance R4 being too large to permit C12r to remain operated. By closing its make contact e121A the relay C12r operates temporarily the relay G1111A (FIG. 4)

lwhich releases G11r by opening its break contcat G14r.

The latter relay G111' further releases the relay G12r by opening its make contact g111, While it brings a ground on the contact c2r1 (FIG. 2). Due to the opening of the make contact g131'2, the automatic cycling of the machine is interrupted, Mn (FIG. 4) being released. By closing its make contact 1141"1 the relay G14r furthermore operates the relay G15r, Which then lights the so-called end of run lamp ER (FIG. 3) when closing its contact g15r2. The relay C1151' remains locked through its closed make Contact g15r1. The break contact c2r of the relay C2r being open, the paralleled relays Bar, B11r and B1611 (FIG. 2)

acolytes l 'it cannot be operated, so that no digit can be entered into the adding machine, as will be explained later.

The information leaving the tctrad Rt (FG. 5) is transmitted to the shift register ML1 (FIG. 5) by means of the monostable multivibrator M89 (FIG. 6) acting as butter circuit which is triggered each time an advancing pulse deionizes the tube f; of the tetrad RT, i.e. when the latter tube was previously tired. The pulse of 50 ps. is then fed through the AND gate g2g (FIG. 6) the other input lead of which is activated by the reading authorization signal, and the mixer m21 (FIG. 6) to the tube 1 of the shift register ML1 which is then tired. Due to M59 being in its stable condition, except only when triggered from stage 4 of Rt, gate g2g cannot allow the passage of any undesired signals.

The comparison between the information, the amount excepted, is finished when'the normal form of the stop symbol of the previously stored information is situated in the tubes El to of the shift register ML1. Indeed, the sorting prefix, the account number, and the sign of amount, necessitate 2-8Il=ll tetrads, and the ll digits of the amount of the previous cheque are now stored in ML2 ready to go out to T1, while ML1 now stores the beginning of the information of the new 'seque up to the sign of amount stored in complementary form in Rt. he signals appearing at these tubes to 44 are applied on the AND gate g1g. those of the tubes 42 and .13 being previously inverted by inverters 111 and im, respectively. A supplementary so-ealled Had signal is also applied to the gate gm. As this signal is only high when a complete decimal dig't is entered in the shift registers, as will be explained later, the output lead of the gate g1g is accordingly activated only when the actual stop symbol is stored in tubes :il to 4d. This takes care of false stop symbols produced by the end of a digit and the start-of the next. Consequently the common input lead of the AND gates g11 and g1g is also activated. Immediately after the advancing pulse which led to g11 and gie becoming conductive, the corresponding following B pulse will be the last to eventually pass g3 since it will now pass through LQ11 to trigger the monostable multivibrator M54 for 8O msecs. and block gate gm. Hence, the following A pulses for thc digits of the amount will be prevented from passing through gm, and the first of these will instead pass through g1g to reset M33 to its stable condition and therefore block gs- The advancing pulses being still applied to the shift registers, the information of the ead cheque continues to be serially stored in these registers. Its complementary form is completely transmitted therein when the complementary form of the stop symbol (100i) appears in the tetrad Rt, and thus the iirst recording of the information pertaining to the new cheque has now been read.

The output signals of the tubes 1, 4, 2, of the latter the first two after having been inverted by the inverters 1'21 and 1'21, respectively, together with the above mentioned Had signal. The latter signal is present only when there is a complete digit registered in the tetrad Rt.

When the complementary form of the stop symbol (i001) is stored in the tetrad, it is easy to sce that the monostable multivibrator M81, will be, put in its unstable condition by the following A pulse passing through gat 115, authorized by gate g3g. Monostable multivibrator M81 delivers a signal during 60 ms., thus activating the corresponding input lead of the gate g5. during the same time.

After the complementtry form of the read cheque is thus stored in the shift registers, its normal form is entered therein. ln an analogous manner, as described above with regard to the comparison of the account numbers, the normal form of the information of the cheque is then compared with the corresponding complementary form of this same cheque by the same comparison circuit. When a discrepancy is detected, i.e. when the output lead x of the gates gm and g11 becomes activated, this signal is applied through the AND gate g1, to the bi- Stable multivibrator B32 which is thus triggered. The resulting output signal then operates the relay B13r (FIG. 2). By closing its make contact b13r2, the relay B131' operates the parallel connected relays B111r, F1r, C1Gr and D161' (FIG. 2) which are then locked through the closed make Contact d151'2. By closing its make contact f1r, the relay F11' lights the so-called no read lamp NR (FIG. 3). By closing its make contact b1Gr1, the relay B101' provides an additional operating circuit for relay A11r which was already operated through make contact (1111's due to the operation of relay Agr at the beginning of the reading authorization.

By closing its make contact b111r2, the relay B111r operates the parallel connected relays C21' and Cgr. The break contact Car being open the locking circuit of the relay C161' is opened, this relay releases, and the total key TK (FIG. 3) is made effective.

At the end of the reading authorization, and as eX- plained above, relay Agr releases, followed by the release of relays A121', A111' as vell as the temporary operation of relay A11', the release of relay A31', and in turn of relay A61'. The reading operation is finished when the normal form of the stop symbol is stored in the tetrad Rt. The output loads of the tubes of this tetrad constitute input leads of the AND gate gm, the signals appearing at the tubes 2 and 3 being previously inverted by the inverters i1; and 1'13 respectively. A supplementary signal, the above mentioned Had signal, is also applied to the gate g11. lf the stop symbol is stored in the tetrad, the output lead of the gate 17 is activated since the Had signal is high. As it is applied to the coil of the relay A11r after having passed through the inverter' i11, the latter relay A111' is released.

In the case of a discrepancy having been found while comparing the two forms of the information, relay A12r is still operated, as mentioned above (Contact b111r1), whereby relay A51' cannot be operated. Hence, upon the release of relay AG1', relay Amr will be temporarily operated while condenser C1 is charged.

When closing its make Contact awr the parallel connected relays G61' and G11' are then operated and locked through make contact g11'1, and the reject lamp RJ is lighted through make contact gp'g. This will cause the operator to depress the key RRK (FIG. 4).

On the contrary, when no discrepancy has been found, the relay A11-,r cannot be operated at the end of the reading operation since, although the relay Agr is then released, the relay A51' is operated before this release.

Indeed, the release of relay Aer requires, starting from the release of relay Agr, the operation of relay A1r and the release of the relay Aar, while the operation of the relay A5r only requires, starting from the release of relay Agr, the release of relay A111r.

The relay A51' (FIG. l) is then operated as follows:

Ground, closed break contacts a12r1, a11r1, closed make contact a151'2, coil of the relay A51', battery.

The relay D201' (FIG. 2) is then temporarily operated during the charge time of capacitor C1 through the closed make and bre l; contact 1:51'2 and :1.11'1 respectively. Ey closing its make contact c1201' and the relay Cgr being unenergized since no discrepancies were previously detected, the parallel connected relays B111', B111' and B151' (FIG. 2) are operated through the closed break contact C21'. By opening its break contact [216."1, the relay B161' makes the Start SK ineffective, while by closing its make contact L'mrg, it operates the relay B111' (FIG. 2) which locks itself through its contact burg. By closing its contact by'. the relay B91' locks the operated and parallel connected relays B91', B111' and B151' to ground through the closed break contact b-='. By closing its make Contact 11111'1, the relay B111' cnergues the (FG. 2) through tlze closed break Contact cr.

By closing its make contact C151', the relay C151- applies an impulse to the single pulse generator SPG1 (FIG. 7). This single pulse generator is designed to produce a single signal of 300 microseconds which cannot -be aiected by eventual contact vibrations of relay C151' during .the period of this signal. It activates a common input lead of the AND gates g1 and g2. Before describing the eiiect of this signal, the production of local pulses of 5 kc./s. will be described.

The system is provided with a stable multivibrator As (FIG. 6) with built-in output diterentiators, which produces a iirst series of pulses, called C pulses, at 200 us. intervals, and an identical series of D pulses with the same Ifrequency .but phase shifted by a half period of l() us. The C pulse are continuously applied to the input lead of the AND gates g1, g2 (FIG. 7), g2, g4, g5 (FIG. and g25 (FIG. 6), while the D pulses are applied to the AND gate g26.

A distinction now has to be made between cheques processed one by one with the automatic or single feed key in the single feed position, including the irst cheque processed with the key in automatic feed position, and the second, :third cheques processed with the key in the automatic feed position. Indeed, in the first case, the complete information stored in the shift registers has to be transmitted to the adding machine, while in the second case, only the amount has to be transmitted therein.

A-s already mentioned above, in the first case the relay B41I is operated, and in the second case it is released.

It is now assumed that the relay B21' is operated. By closing its make contact 1141-2, a so called print account number (pau) signal is applied to the gate g4 and further through the mixer m2 to the input lead 2 ofthe AND gate ge (FIG. 7).

Although the account number has to be printed in this c-ase, the eventual non significant zeros of this account number, whenit has less digits than the maximum number, need not be printed, and thus they do not have to be transmitted to the adding machine. The system described has been adapted for realizing this.

Suppose that an account number provided with at least one non-significant Zero digit is stored in the shift registers. Thus a zero as highest signiiicant digit is stored in the last tetrad of 4the shift register ML2 (tubes 41 to 44). The output lead of the AND gate g2 is activated, and this signal is applied through the mixer m3 to the gate g2. Since both the input leads 1 and 3 of the gate g2 are thus activated, while the signal pulse lasts, the iirst arriving C pulse is able to trigger the monostable multivibrator MSB through the mixer m19. This monostable multivibrator delivers a high signal during ms. This signal is Yfed `through the mixers m13 and m15 in cascade to the input lead 1 of the AND gate g2g. Since the input lead 2 of this gate g2g is activated, the inverse signal of the reading authorization signal being applied thereto, D pulses are permitted to be ted through the gate g26, the mixer m11, and the delay element D3 of l0 its. to the monostable multivibrator M812 which produces advancing pulses of us.

These locally produced advancing pulses are applied to all the shift registers, such that the first zero digit and eventually the following zero digit-s of the account number are shifted out of the register ML2. At the moment the first decimal digit different from zero is stored in the last tetrad, the generation of advancing pulses is stopped.

At the moment the first binary l is recorded in stage 4l, gate gq will in fact no longer deliver a signal, but the output of inverter i12 constituting the inverse Had signal, still provides an activating signal through mixer m2, until the 4 binary digits of the iirst account number digit, distinct from 0, are stored in stages 4i to 44. Indeed, at that moment, the output lead 1t of the mixer m3 is deactivated. This signal is applied to the inverter i1 (FIG. 7) and further fed through the mixer m1 to the gate g4, the other input lead of which is activ-ated dueto the above mentioned (pria) signal. In this manner the output lead id of gate gg is activated and a signal is fed through the mixer m20 and lead k to the monostabie multivibrator MSS (FIG. 7) which is thus reset in its stable condition, so that the generation of advancing pulses is stopped.

Since a complete decimal digit different from zero is now stored in the tetrad fil-4d of ML2, the output lead of the gate gs is activated. Indeed, the inverted (il) output signal of gate gf, is applied thereto together with the (pea) signal (m2).

In this manner the relay Bqr (FIG. 2) is operated. The operation of this relay indicates that all the digits of the account number still stored in the shift register ML2 may be transmitted to the adding machine.

The relay A101' (FIG. l) being released at the end of the reading operation, the parallel connected relays Br and B21' are then energized as follows:

Battery, coils of the relays B61', B81', closed make contact b712, closed break contact amrl ground.

Both relays B51' and B81' are then locked through the closed break and make contacts 1121'1 and b81'2, respectively. These relays thus keep into memory the operation of relay Ber.

As mentioned above, the parallel connected relays B151', B91' and B111' Iare operated, so that when the make contact ber is closed by the operation of make contact B21' of relay B71', the parallel connected relays D11', D2r (FIG. 3) are operated when no faults were previously detected, as follows:

Ground, closed make contacts b61'2 and b11r2, closed break contacts C413, dlrl, coils of relays Dlr, D21', battery.

The digit stored in the last tetrad 4l4d of the shift register ML2 is noW set up in the adding machine by means of a self-checking decoding circuit. The adding machine is provided with a single series of ten digit solenoids (0 to 9) and with a series of print bars corresponding to the different digits that have to be printed after having been successively set up. Each of said solenoids is able to actuate a so-called stop member, and ten such stop members are provided per print bar. The adding machine is moreoevr provided with a so-called distribution bar which may be placed in a position corresponding to the rank of the digit to be printed i.e. corresponding to a print bar. It has naturally to be displaced by one stop each time a solenoid is operated. in brief, `the working of the adding machine is as follows. Suppose that the number 13 has to be printed. The energization of the digit solenoid 1, by depressing the l key, actuates the stop member l of a first column of such stop members associated with a iirst print bar. The energization of the digit solenoid 3, when depressing the 3 key, shifts the distribution bar to the following position, corresponding with a second print bar and a second column of stop members of which the third one is now actuated. Each time a digit solenoid is energized, a so-called make-digit contact MDC (FIG. 2) is closed together with a so-called individual top Contact m' (FIG. 2).

When all the digits of the information to be printed, e.g. the account number, are set up in the adding machine, all the print bars are released and arrested in a position corresponding to the previously actuated stop member. In this manner the digit characters, corresponding to the operated digit solenoids, are brought in front of the hammers of a printing device, so .that they may easily be printed.

The adding machine is naturally provided with a totalizer such that c g. an amount set up in the adding machine may be added to the previously obtained total of amounts.

It is further clear that, although the information is set up in the adding machine, said adding operation does not always have to be executed e.g. for an account number. Therefore, a so called add and non-add electromagl5 net have been provided, which when operated respectively allow and disable the adding operation.

It is now assumed that e.g. the digit 8 (lllO), stored in the last tetrad of the shift rcgister ML2, has to be printed. A direct connection has been provided between the output leads a to /z of the tubes 4l to 44, two leads, such as a and e, being provided from each stage of this last tetrad and the relays D91', D111', D111', D191', D51', D11', D101', D151' (FIG. 3). Since a high signal appears only on the leads a' and I1, only the relays D101' and D151' are operated, and the other relays, previously operated when zeros were registered in all four stages, are released.

By opening the break contacts 101'1 and d151'1, the operated relays D101' and D151' respectively release the parallel connected relays E101', E101', E111', E191' and E141', E101', E111', E101' (FlG. 3). ln this manner the following circuits are closed for the adding machine digit solenoit 3 (FIG. l).

Battery, solenoid 8, closed break contact c1911, closed make contacts e111'1, e11'2, :l0/'2.

The following circuit is furthermore closed for the relay D101' (FIG. l):

Battery, coil o relay D101', closed make contacts d01'2, e01'2, c1211, closed break contacts c2011, e191'1, closed make contacts 6111'2, e11'2, 1101'2.

The relay D11' has however been operated in a manner described above, so that a common ground L/:1 is siinul taneously given to thc relay D101' and the solenoid 3 through the closed make contact 1111' and the closed break contacts c11'1 and c31'1 when no discrepancies were previously detected.

lt is easy to seen that when the same information transmitted on the one hand to the relays D111', D111', D111', D101' and on the other hand to the relays D51', D11', D131', D15r does not correspond the relay D101' will not be operated. Its operation thus gives an indication about the correct setting up of digits in the adding machine. In other words, two sets of four relays are used, and whenever a relay operates in one set, the non-operation of its twin in the other set will prevent the operation of D101', whereby full safety against failure of a relay is ensured. By closing its make contact cl101' the relay D101' operates the relay D121'.

The corresponding stop member S is then actuated by the operated digit solenoid 8, which also closes one (mi) of the above mentioned and parallel connected top contacts (111'0-1110 on FIG. 2). In this manner the parallel connected relays C11' and D101' are operated (FIG. 2) and locked through the closed break and make contacts c131'2 and 6.11'2, respectively. As will be explained further, the relay C131 is operated only when four advancing pulses are transmitted `to the shift registers.

With the assumption that no discrepancy was detected by the decoding circuit, the ground given by the closed make contact 1101' cannot operate the parallel connected relays B101', F71', C101', D10r (FIG. 2).

On the contrary when a discrepancy is detected by this self-checking decoding circuit, the relay D101' is not operated and when the relay D101' is operated in a manner described above, the parallel relays B101', F11', C10r and D101' (FlG. 2) are energized through the closed make and break contacts 1181' and d121'1, respectively. By the closure of the Contact 1110111 these relays are locked, while by the opening of the closed break contact (1101'1, the operating circuit for the relay D11' and D11' is opened. These relays thus release, and so digits solenoids can be energized, the make contact d11' being opened.

In a manner described above, the machine is then stopped and the no-read lamp NR is lighted. The total key is further rendered effective, the relay C101' being released. The operator may then depress this key, which, in a manner which will be described later, will cause the information to be wiped out from the register'.

Assuming there is no fault, as mentioned above, when man 1G a digit is entered into the adding machine, the make digit contact MDC is closed. Thus the relay C11r (FIG. 2) is operated, and by closing its make contact c1112 the latter relay energizes the relay C141'.

Whereas the single pulse generator SPG1 (FIG. 7) may include an input cold cathode tube which is tired by the application of ground, produces an output anode pulse to drive an output monostable circuit, and is deionized automatically by a time constant circuit in its anode circuit, in SPG2 (FiG. 6), said cold cathode tube remains ionized and may only be deionized by opening its cathode lead (conductor k). Indeed, as long as the tube is red and even afterwards when its anode is still low enough, contact vibrations cannot ionize it, -but if these may persist for an unduly long time as may be the case for SPG2, the time constant may have to be so large that it may harm the desired rapidity of operation in keying the digits. Hence, for SPGZ a positive external control is preferred to determine when immunity to input signals is to cease.

Normally the cold cathode tube, part of the single pulse generator SPG0, may be ionized, and when the break Contact c1111 is opened, due to the operation of relay C111', the cathode circuit k of said tube is opened and the latter tube is deionized.

The subsequent opening of the break contact c1.1r1 remains without effect. The closure of the make contact c111'2 again connects the cathode lead k to ground.

When the contact MDC is opened again, the relay C111' and afterwards the relay C111' are released, so that a supplementary ground is given to lead k during the time interval comprised between the release of C111' and C111'. When contact c111'2 is opened, only the ground of c1111 is connected to the cathode lead k. When the break contact 121.11'1 then closes, said tube is ionized, thus producing a pulse which is applied to the monostable circuit part of said single pulse generator SPG2, so that the input lead l of the AND gate 125 is activated for 300 11s.

Principally referring to FIG. 8, the generation of a series of exactly four advancing pulses will now be described. This series is required to shift the digit stored in the last tetrad of the shift register ML2 and only this digit.

rIhe input lead 2 of the gate 1.15 being activated during 390 as., at least one, and at most two, C pulses of 200 11s. period are permitted to be fed through this gate. The lirst of them is applied to the monostable multivibrator M511 which is triggered and activates during 400 11s. the input lead of the gate ,120 through the mixers m11 and 11115, so that at least one D pulse is applied through the gate 120, the mixer 11111, and the delay element D3 of l0 11s. to the monostable multivibrator M511l which produces advancing pulses of 25 11s.

The bistable devices B83 and B51 are arranged as a counter-of-4 with BS3, the input bistable device, driven by the rear edge of the advancing pulses.

Whatever the initial conditions of the bistable devices B83 and B81, when power is initially applied to the circuit, they are now both in condition 0, since otherwise a signal passes mixers 11111 and 11115 to authorize gate 120 to send D pulses to produce advancing pulses. In this manner, the input lead l of the latter gate 1.10 is activated during 735 11s. (FIG. 9) in total, so that exactly four advancing pulses are produced, which are applied to the shift registers. After the fourth pulse, both BS0 and BS.1 are again in condition 0, and since M811 is now back to normal, the generation of further pulses is stopped.

The information thus leaving the tube 44 of the last tetrad of ML0 is applied to the monostable multivibrator M81 (FIG. 6) which is however only triggered when a 1 digit leaves said tube `44. The thus produced 50 11s. signal then may he fed to the tube 1 of the recording tetrad Rf through the AND gate 72,1 and the mixer 11110. Indeed, the other input lead of this gate g1, is constituted by the output lead of the AND gate 123 which delivers a Ihigh signal, since bot-h its input leads are activated, due to the reading authorization being removed and the relay D1.1r being released (-25 volts, i.e. an inhibiting signal at input of inverter i6).

From the tetrad Rt the information is further transmitted through the monostable multivibrator M59, the gate g21, and the mixer m21 to the tube 1 of the shift register ML1 in a manner already described above.

From FIG. 9 it is also easy to see that the output lead of the mixer m14 is activated during 600 as. i.e. during the generation of :the last three advancing pulses. The signal appearing at the left output lead of the bistable multivibrator BS4 is applied, together with the signal appearing at the left output lead of the bistable multivibrator B83, to the gate g2g which thus delivers the so-called Had signal that is able to operate the monostable multivibrator MS10 at the end `of :the fourth advancing pulse, i.e. when b-oth BSS and B81 again reach their 0 conditions together.

The resulting 35 ms. signal then operates the relay C13r so that the parallel connected and previously operated relays C11', D181' are released by the opening of the closed break contact 01312.

The other digits may now be successively set up in the adding machine, the information stored in normal form being recirculated, all in the manner `described above.

The sorting prefix and the account number are completely set up in the adding machine at the moment the normal form of the stop symbol is stored in the tubes 37 to 40 of the shift register ML1. The sign of amount is then stored in the last tetrad of the shift register ML2.

The signals appearing at the output leads of the tubes 37, 40, 38, 39 the latter two signals after having been inverted by inverters i3, i12 respectively are applied, together with the Had signal and the inverse of the reading authorization signal, to the gate 121. Thus the output lead t of the latter gate g31 becomes activated and the relay C11' (FIG. 2) is operated.

Since the operation of the relay C11' removes the ground from the contact d11' (FIG. l), when opening its break contact c11'1, no digits can be entered into the adding machine, so that the sign of amount stored in the last tetrad of the shift register ML2 cannot be set up in the adding machine. By closing its make contact c1112, the relay C1r further operates the relay D31'. By closing its contact d3r2, the ground from the home position contact HPC of the printer is brought on the relay C11r, which further operates C14r, so las to produce a series of four advancing pulses that shift the sign of amount out of the las-t tetrad of the shift register.

Due to the closure of the make contact d3r1, the nonadd electromagnet NAM is operated through the closed made contact d21'2 of the relay D2r, operated in a manner described above. The home position contact HPC of the printer is a change-over contact which takes a position, as shown on FIG. 2, only when the printer is at rest.

When the relay B41' is not operated, i.e. in the case of automatic feed and for cheques after the first of a series having the same account number, then advancing pulses `are admitted on the shift registers also due to the mono- -stable multivibrator MS2 (FIG. 7) being in its unstable condition. It is put in this condition by `a C pulse which is allowed through the gate g1 (FIG. 7) when the single pulse generator SPG1 is operated (break contact b41'1 closed). This generation of advancing pulses is however not stopped by ra |significant digit of the account number being stored in the last tetrad of the `shift register ML2, since the output lleads of the gates g4 and g5 are bot-h deactivated.

It may be stopped when the output ,lead of the gate g31 is activated in the above described manner. Indeed a C pulse can then be fed through the gate g3. This C pulse is delayed by delay element D1 by 400 ns. before being applied to the monostable multivibrator MS2 which activates the input lead 2 of gate g5 during 30 ms. This delay should now permit at least one advancing pulse to be generated. In the absence of the Had signal, mixer 111-3 delivers a signal and accordingly mixer m11 -does not, whereby the triggering of MS2 is still without effect. But as soon as the Had signal reappears after the sign of amount has been shifted out of ML2, this condition `can only remain, provided a decimal digit 0 is stored in the last tetrad of ML2. Otherwise, m3 no longer delivers an output signal and the next C pulse `rnay pass through gate g5.

Thus, as soon as the first significant digit of the amount, is stored in the last tetrad of ML2, gate g5 delivers a pulse which passes through mixer m20 to trigger the nionostable circuit M38 back to its stable condition. Operations will then proceed, as described in the case of single feed.

Returning now to the case where printing of the account number is desired, e.g. single feed, when the nonadd electromagnet NAM is operated, the printer motor is started and the home position contact HPC is displaced, so that a ground is given to the parallel connected relays E21', C5r which thus operate.

By opening Iits break contact e21'1, the relay E21' removes the ground from Lk1 (FIG. 2) thus releasing all the relays locked on Lk1, while by closing its make contact e2r2 it energizes the relay C61' (FIG. 2), so that the charged capacitor C3 is discharged by the closure of the make contact `061'2 in a manner `analogous to that described for the capacitor C1 (circuit of relay A151'). When the relay C61' afterwards releases, the printer being again in its home position (HPC closed), the relay C11' will be temporarily energized during the charge-time of the capacitor C3. It thus releases the relay C101', in case of single feed (AF1 open), and makes the total key effective. l l I By opening its break contact c5r, the relay C51 opens the circuit for the relay C151' so that the single pulse generator SPG1 may no longer be operated. In this manner the corresponding input leads of the gates g1 and g2 rnay no longer be activated.

summarizing, in case of automatic feed starting Wit-h the second item, the sorting prefix, the account number and the sign of amount are notwset upV in the adding machine and the printer need not be operated. In the case of Isingle feed, the sor-ting prefix `and the account number are set up in the adding machine and the printer is operated for printing this information.

When the printer motor reaches a Aso-called half cycle position, the length of this half cycle being determined by a carnwheel fixed on the motorshaft, a so-called half cycle contact hcc is closed. The relay Bar (FIG. 2) is thus operated, and by opening lits break contact Z231' the locking circuit for the relays Br, B81' is opened.

During the operation of the printer the information stored in the adding machine is printed. After this is finished, the ystoring of digits in the adding machine may then continue in a manner describedv above. The nonsigniiicant zeros of the Iamount are then also prevented from being printed, as described with regard to the sorting prefix and the account number.

In all cases, when all the signilicant digits of the amount are transmitted to the adding machine, the stop symbol arrives in the last tetrad of the shift register ML2. The output leadof the gate gso is then activated and this signal is applied through the mixer m11 to the gates g4 and g5. When a processed cheque is provided with zero amount, due, for instance, to a Wrong encoding operation, then the advancing pulses will be stopped as follows. In the case of automatic Ifeed (second, third, etc. cheques), the first arriving C pulse then resets the monostable multivibrator MSE, through the gate g5 while in the case of single feed, it is reset by -a C pulse fed through the ygate g1.

The output signal of gate g2g also operates the relay C3r. Due to opening of its break contact 0211 no digits can be set up in the adding machine, since the ground is removed from the circuit of the digit solenoids (FIG. l). By closing its make contact 031'2 the parallel connected relays A131', D41' are operated and also the relay A21' but only in the case of automatic feed, the contact AF, then being closed.

The relay D11' energizes the add electromagnet AM (FIG. 3) as follows:

Battery, coil of the add electromagnet AM, closed make contacts dzr, d41'2, ground.

By closing its make contact d41'1, the relay D41' operates the relay C111' through the ground of the home position contact of the printer. Thus a series of four advancing pulses are applied to the registers, shifting the stop symbol out of these.

When the add electromagnet AM is operated, the printer motor is started, the information (i.e. the amount) stored in the adding machine is printed, while it is stored in the totalizer.

When the printer motor is started, the ground of the home position contact HPC is applied to the parallel connected relays E21' and C51' with the effect already described above.

By closing its make contact 11131', the relay A131' operates the feed electromaguet FM (FIG. 3) which commands the removal of the document carrier positioned in the reading stage. The relay A21', only operated in case of automatic feed, acts nearly in the same manner as did the relay A11' when processing the first cheque, so that another document may be brought in the reading position. No circuit is then closed for the operation f the relay B41' which thus remains released.

When the add electromagnet AM operates, it closes its top contact Epe so as to operate the relay B5r which causes the relays B91', B111', B16r, A15r and eventually B21', B41' to release.

At the moment the printer arrives in its so called half cycle position, the relay B31' (FIG. 2) is operated through the closed half cycle contact hcc, thus unlocking the parallel connected relays B61' and Bar when opening its break Contact B31'.

When a cheque with a different account number is detected, and also when a discrepancy was detected during the comparison of the two forms of the same information, the total key has to be depressed. Indeed, the shift registers have then to be cleared. `It is to be remarked that only in these cases is the total key effective, since the relay Cr is then released, as was described above.

When depressing the total key TK, the parallel connected relays E31', D141' and F11' are operated. By closing its make contact d141'2, the relay D141' activates the input lead of the gate gg through the mixers 11113, m15, so that advancing pulses are applied to the shift registers. Since the relay D141' is operated more than 20 ms., it is assured that enough advancing pulses will be applied to the shift registers to clear them completely. By opening its break Contact (11.111, the relay D14r resets the bistables multivibrators B81 and B52, and by closing its make contacts e31'2, the relay E31' operates the total electromagnet TM.

The reset for each of the bistable multivibrators B51 and B52 takes place by the removal of the 250 volts, leading to an increase of the resistance (due to the removal of a short-circuit) in their anode-grid potentiometer circuit and a consequent triggering of each of the devices in a predetermined condition. The electromagnet TM causes the adding machine to produce the total of the amounts and initiates another cycle of the printer mechanism which prints the thus obtained total. By opening the break contact e311 the ground is removed from Lkz, thus resetting all the relays locked on Lkg.

It was mentioned above how at a certain moment the feed electromagnet FM was operated. In the case of automatic feed, when a new account number is detected, the removal of the document carrier, enclosing this new cheque and situated in the reading stage, is however prevented by means not shown. In this manner, the read document is transmitted to the adjacent stage, or so-called unjacketing stage, where the cheque may be removed out of its document carrier. Afterwards the document carrier is transferred to a so-called output position, wherein a mechanism is mounted so as to transfer the document processed from the edgewise conveyor, along which it was processed, onto a transverse conveyor. Such a mechanism is described in the Belgian Patent No. 577,765.

While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A system for decoding digital information recorded on documents comprising:

(a) means for continuously receiving binary digit signals representing information recorded on a document and corresponding time reference signals recorded with said binary information signals, the same information being serially recorded and received in first and second different code forms in each of which the information is arranged in successive binary combinations representing successive decimal digits,

(b) a source of locally produced data timing signals,

(c) gating means coupled to said source, for intermittently passing the signals issuing therefrom in decimal digit timing groups,

(d) means coupled to said receiving and gating means for producing advancing pulses,

(e) a shift register coupled to said receiving means and said advancing pulse producing means, said shift register having the capacity to store one complete form of the said information, and thereby being operative to serially receive said information in said first and second forms and to thereafter statically store said information in said second form until said gating means is enabled,

(f) first control means for controlling said receiving and gating means in alternate time intervals,

(g) means coupled to said first control means for recirculating the output of said shift register back through the input of said register during activation of said gating means thereby recirculating said second form of said information, in intermittent decimal digit groups, following operation of said receiving means,

(Iz) comparing means coupled to said shift register and said receiving means for comparing the binary information entering and leaving said register during operation of said receiving means,

(1') verification means coupled to said register, said receiving means, said first control means and said comparing means for producing a verification indication during the redundant transfer of said second form of said information from said receiving means into said register, thereby producing an indication of malfunction whenever said shift register is improperly operated or whenever said second form of said information does not precisely correspond to the previously transferred first form thereof.

(j) and utilization means coupled to said gating and first control means and to the group of successive output stages of said register which contains the first entered decimal digit for intermittently utilizing the decimal digit information stored in sad second form as it is intermittently recirculated through the input of said register.

2. A system according to claim l including:

(a) second control means coupled to said register, and said utilization means for disabling said utilization means during the application of non-significant zero decimal combinations thereto. 

1. A SYSTEM FOR DECODING DIGITAL INFORMATION RECORDED ON DOCUMENTS COMPRISING: (A) MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY RECEIVING BINARY DIGIT SIGNALS REPRESENTING INFORMATION RECORDED ON A DOCUMENT AND CORRESPONDING TIME REFERENCE SIGNALS RECORDED WITH SAID BINARY INFORMATION SIGNALS, THE SAME INFORMATION BEING SERIALLY RECORDED AND RECEIVED IN FIRST AND SECOND DIFFERENT CODE FORMS IN EACH OF WHICH THE INFORMATION IS ARRANGED IN SUCCESSIVE BINARY COMBINATIONS REPRESENTING SUCCESSIVE DECIMAL DIGITS, (B) A SOURCE OF LOCALLY PRODUCED DATA TIMING SIGNALS, (C) GATING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID SOURCE, FOR INTERMITTENTLY PASSING THE SIGNALS ISSUING THEREFROM IN DECIMAL DIGIT TIMING GROUPS, (D) MEANS COUPLED TO SAID RECEIVING AND GATING MEANS FOR PRODUCING ADVANCING PULSES, (E) A SHIFT REGISTER COUPLED TO SAID RECEIVING MEANS AND SAID ADVANCING PULSE PRODUCING MEANS, SAID SHIFT REGISTER HAVING THE CAPACITY TO STORE ONE COMPLETE FORM OF THE SAID INFORMATION, AND THEREBY BEING OPERATIVE TO SERIALLY RECEIVE SAID INFORMATION IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FORMS AND TO THEREAFTER STATICALLY STORE SAID INFORMATION IN SAID SECOND FORM UNTIL SAID GATING MEANS IS ENABLED, (F) FIRST CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID RECEIVING AND GATING MEANS IN ALTERNATE TIME INTERVALS, (G) MEANS COUPLED TO SAID FIRST CONTROL MEANS FOR RECIRCULATING THE OUTPUT OF SAID SHIFT REGISTER BACK THROUGH THE INPUT OF SAID REGISTER DURING ACTIVATION OF SAID GATING MEANS THEREBY RECIRCULATING SAID SECOND FORM OF SAID INFORMATION, IN INTERMITTENT DECIMAL DIGIT GROUPS, FOLLOWING OPERATION OF SAID RECEIVING MEANS, (H) COMPARING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID SHIFT REGISTER AND SAID RECEIVING MEANS FOR COMPARING THE BINARY INFORMATION ENTERING AND LEAVING SAID REGISTER DURING OPERATION OF SAID RECEIVING MEANS, (I) VERIFICATION MEANS COUPLED TO SAID REGISTER, SAID RECEIVING MEANS, SAID FIRST CONTROL MEANS AND SAID COMPARING MEANS FOR PRODUCING A VERIFICATION INDICATION DURING THE REDUNDANT TRANSFER OF SAID SECOND FORM OF SAID INFORMATION FROM SAID RECEIVING MEANS INTO SAID REGISTER, THEREBY PRODUCING AN INDICATION OF MALFUNCTION WHENEVER SAID SHIFT REGISTER IS IMPROPERLY OPERATED OR WHENEVER SAID SECOND FORM OF SAID INFORMATION DOES NOT PRECISELY CORRESPOND TO THE PREVIOUSLY TRANSFERRED FIRST FORM THEREOF. (J) AND UTILIZATION MEANS COUPLED TO SAID GATING AND FIRST CONTROL MEANS AND TO THE GROUP OF SUCCESSIVE OUTPUT STAGES OF SAID REGISTER WHICH CONTAINS THE FIRST ENTERED DECIMAL DIGIT FOR INTERMITTENTLY UTILIZING THE DECIMAL DIGIT INFORMATION STORED IN SAD SECOND FORM AS IT IS INTERMITTENTLY RECIRCULATED THROUGH THE INPUT OF SAID REGISTER. 